Julie Thompson started putting on weight during the menopause. But with a healthier diet and more exercise, she slimmed down from a size 18 to a size 10.

When Julie Thompson started the menopause at the age of 42, she was happy with her size and weighed 63.5kg (10st).

Slowly, though, Julie – who lives with her husband and son in east Yorkshire – realised her weight was creeping up.

"I was having to buy bigger clothes," she says. "The menopause was making me depressed, and I was comfort eating as a result." By early 2006, Julie's weight had increased to 79kg (12st 6lb).

The turning point came during a medical check in February 2006. Julie's doctor told her that, given her body mass index (BMI) of 30, she was clinically obese and at higher risk of health problems such as type 2 diabetes and stroke.

"That really hit home," remembers Julie. "I had an 8-year-old son, and I wanted to stay around to see him become an adult."